Mobile vacuum stripper for carding machines



Oct. 30, 1951 v M. s. FAIN 2,573,556

MOBILE VACUUM STRIPPER FOR CARDING MACHINES Filed May 20, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Oct. 30, 1951 M. s. FAlN 2,573,556

MOBILE VACUUM STRIPPER FOR CARDING MACHINES Filed May 20, 1Q

2 SHEETS SHEET 2 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOBILE VACUUM STRIPPER FOR CARDING MACHINES Mitchell S. Fain, Cheshire, Conn.

Application May 20, 1948, Serial No. 28,146

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in card stripping apparatus and relates more particularly to a novel, self-contained, mobile unit for removing matted and waste fibres, dirt, grease and other foreign matter from card clothing.

Periodically it is necessary to remove this accumulated waste material from carding cylinders of all types working on woolens, worsteds, felts, cottons, synthetic fibres, asbestos and mixtures of these materials in original or reworked forms. Card stripping by vacuum means has proven far more satisfactory than the older practice of removing the material by hand. It causes far less injury to the card clothing and it performs the operation much more quickly, thus resulting in shorter periods of shutdown of the carding machine. It is also a far cleaner operation and avoids the dispersion of fine, dust-like particles over the entire surface of the plant and fixtures.

Vacuum card strippers have in the past been invariably of one type, namely a fixed, permanent installation of apparatus including a central collecting unit which provides the necessary vacuum and a receiving tank or other means for effecting a separation of the solid particles from the fiuid stream. Such an apparatus also includes a system of ducts leading to all of the machines in the card room. The apparatus requires heavy installation foundations and it operates at relatively less efficiency due to the long ducts from the carding machine to the receiver tanks. Also the apparatus requires in the aggregate a very considerable amount of space, is always in the way of the normal carding operation, and is expensive to install and maintain.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved mobile unit which is relatively inexpensive to construct, operate and maintain, which requires little space, and which may be moved completely out of the carding area when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel card stripper which requires ducts of minimum length, thus reducing losses due to friction. Whereas the apparatus of the present invention is designed primarily as a vacuum stripper for card clothing it nevertheless will have general utility throughout a textile plant, particularly in cleaning operations of all descriptions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved collector tank for vacuum cleaning systems wherein the separation of the solid particles from the air is complete and instantaneous and wherein clogging of the air filters is reduced to a minimum, thus reducing servicing time. The tank of the present invention also eliminates the need for cloth filters which were required in prior equipment.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vacuum card stripper embodying the present invention, the view also showing a partial side elevation of a conventional card with the stripping nozzle attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the collector tank.

Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section taken through the upper section of the tank.

Fig. 4 is a broken section taken through the lower section thereof. 7

Fig. 5 is a broken section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

The vacuum stripping equipment of the present invention is arranged to be mounted on a mobile unit comprising a base ill carrying wheels II at one end thereof. A draw-bar l2 at the opposite end of the base controls swivel movement of wheels i3 and also enables the unit to be pushed or pulled to its desired location.

A vertical, generally cylindrical collector tank I4 is rigidly mounted at one end of the base and is formed adjacent its upper end with an inlet port comprising a fitting 15 to which is connected a flexible duct l6 which carries a nozzle H at its opposite end. This nozzle is shown as being supported by a traverse bar 2i associated with the main cylinder of a carding machine indicated generally by the reference numeral 22. Neither the traverse bar nor the card form any part of the present invention and any type of nozzle may be employed at the outer end of duct It.

The upper section of tank i4 is further formed with an outlet port comprising a fitting 23 connected with a flexible duct 2c. The outer end of the duct is connected by means of a fitting 25 with a relatively powerful vacuum pump 26 also mounted on the base. A flexible coupling 21 connects the pump shaft 3| with shaft 32 of a motor 33 also mounted on the base. Pressure in the tank is indicated by vacuum gauge 34.

Reference is now made to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 which show the details of construction of the collector tank. The solid particles which have been stripped from the card clothing collect at the bottom of the tank and rest upon lower wall 30 and are removed from the tank through access door 35 which is mounted by hinges 36 on a generally rectangular frame 31. at the lower end of the tank. Locking means 40 may be employed for retaining the door closed in fluid-tight relation with the tank.

The tank is formed with a horizontal partition or wall 4| spaced from upper wall 42, thus dividing the tank into an upper chamber 43 and a lower chamber 44. Fitting I5 leading to duct I6 terminates in an elbow 45 which passes through such partition. A bafile plate 46 of curved or angular contour may be secured on thelower surface of partition 4| between theelbow 43' and the center of the partition for the purpose of deflecting the solid particles downwardly as they enter lower chamber 44.

Fitting 23 connected with duct 24 com municates with upper section 43 of the tank. At its inner end elbow 23 is formed with a flange "50" and a screen 5| is mounted thereon by means of a.v

retaining ring 52 held by screws 53.

from the principles hereof.

WhatIclaim is: V

A vertical, generally cylindrical collector tank for a vacuum stripper for carding cylinders, said tankbeing provided with a horizontal partition adjacent its upper end dividing the tank into 7 upper and lower sections, the tank and the par- A central opening 54 in partition 4| is'clo'se'd by a forarninous screen 55, preferably made from metallic wire, thescreen-being secured in place by a-retain'ing ring 58 and bolts 51. For the purpcseof examining and replacing screens 5| and 55 the upper wall 422 is provided with an access openingt l which is closed by-a removable closure plate 62.

The elbows, the horizontal partition, the frame supporting the lower access door,-etc.; areshown as secured in place by means of welding; It will be understood, however, that any'other' desired construction may be employed.

' *No' particular cooling means for the'pump are shown although if desired ,a fluid cooling-me dium may be employed. I i

In use "the motor is energiseclthus creating a very H considerable degree of vacuum within collector tank [4. Any suitable means maybe employed for moving nozzle l'l relative tov the carding cylinders .while the latter are in motion and this causes the accumulated material on the card clothing to be removed in an almost COD? tinuous strip. The material enters the lower sec,-

tion 44 of the tank with, considerable velocity and the, weight of these solidscarries them to the bottom of the tank while the air, passes upwardly through screen 55 and out of the tank through screen 5! titionhaving openings therein and a duct passing through such openings and leading downwardly into the lower tanksection, the partition havingsa second opening therein, and a foraminousfiltercovering'such opening, a baflie (1115-, posed, between said opening and the duct, an outlet dust, the upper section of the tank having an opening for receiving such outlet duct, a foraminousmfilter coveringthe inner terminal of such duct, the upper and lower sections of the tank .having access openings and removable C10.

8111165101 51.1011v openings.

MITCHELL S. 'FAIN;

REFERENCES CITED The following references. areof record in the file of. this :patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 290,490 Small Dec. 18, 1883 827,536' Kindel July 31, 1906 951,624: Thurman Mar. 8, 1910 975,396 Cochran Nov. 15, 1910 1,065,179 Smethurst June 17, 1913 1,622,246 Clark Mar. 22, 1927 1,635,834 Goldsmith July 12, 1927v 1,771,852 Lorentz July 29, 1930 1,996,604 Angl'emeyer Apr. 2, 1935 2,025,946 Wenner-Gren Dec. 31, 1935 

